Naraka-varṇana: The Hellish Planets and the Karmic Logic of Punishment
तत्र हैके नरकानेकविंशतिं गणयन्ति अथ तांस्ते राजन्नामरूपलक्षणतोऽनुक्रमिष्यामस्तामिस्रोऽन्धतामिस्रो रौरवो महारौरव: कुम्भीपाक: कालसूत्रमसिपत्रवनं सूकरमुखमन्धकूप: कृमिभोजन: सन्दंशस्तप्तसूर्मिर्वज्रकण्टकशाल्मली वैतरणी पूयोद: प्राणरोधो विशसनं लालाभक्ष: सारमेयादनमवीचिरय:पानमिति । किञ्च क्षारकर्दमो रक्षोगणभोजन: शूलप्रोतो दन्दशूकोऽवटनिरोधन: पर्यावर्तन: सूचीमुखमित्यष्टाविंशतिर्नरका विविधयातनाभूमय: ॥ ७ ॥
tatra haike narakān eka-viṁśatiṁ gaṇayanti atha tāṁs te rājan nāma-rūpa-lakṣaṇato ’nukramiṣyāmas tāmisro ’ndhatāmisro rauravo mahārauravaḥ kumbhīpākaḥ kālasūtram asipatravanaṁ sūkaramukham andhakūpaḥ kṛmibhojanaḥ sandaṁśas taptasūrmir vajrakaṇṭaka-śālmalī vaitaraṇī pūyodaḥ prāṇarodho viśasanaṁ lālābhakṣaḥ sārameyādanam avīcir ayaḥpānam iti; kiñca kṣārakardamo rakṣogaṇa-bhojanaḥ śūlaproto dandaśūko ’vaṭa-nirodhanaḥ paryāvartanaḥ sūcīmukham ity aṣṭā-viṁśatir narakā vividha-yātanā-bhūmayaḥ.
Beberapa otoritas mengatakan ada total dua puluh satu planet neraka, dan beberapa mengatakan dua puluh delapan. Wahai Raja, saya akan menguraikan semuanya sesuai dengan nama, bentuk, dan gejalanya. Nama-nama neraka tersebut adalah: Tāmisra, Andhatāmisra, Raurava, Mahāraurava, Kumbhīpāka, Kālasūtra, Asipatravana, Sūkaramukha, Andhakūpa, Kṛmibhojana, Sandaṁśa, Taptasūrmi, Vajrakaṇṭaka-śālmalī, Vaitaraṇī, Pūyoda, Prāṇarodha, Viśasana, Lālābhakṣa, Sārameyādana, Avīci, Ayaḥpāna, Kṣārakardama, Rakṣogaṇa-bhojana, Śūlaprota, Dandaśūka, Avaṭa-nirodhana, Paryāvartana, dan Sūcīmukha. Semua planet ini dimaksudkan untuk menghukum makhluk hidup.
In Canto 5, Chapter 26, Śukadeva Gosvāmī enumerates hellish regions by name and indicates that they are distinct places of punishment corresponding to sinful actions; in this verse he lists twenty-eight such narakas.
Because Parīkṣit Mahārāja, preparing for death and seeking spiritual clarity, inquired about the destinations of sinful living beings; Śukadeva answers by systematically listing the narakas and (in subsequent verses) their characteristics.
It encourages moral responsibility by highlighting karmic consequences; a devotee can apply it by avoiding harmful, exploitative actions and strengthening dharma and bhakti as the safe path beyond fear and punishment.